[Film Review] Gatecrash (2021)

With 2020 barely in the rearview and the global pandemic still raging, it is not surprising to see films utilizing single locations and limited characters to tell their story. Filmmakers are finding ways to create through adversity and the outcome often results in dark and nihilistic art. 

Seemingly created for this very moment in time, Lawrence Gough’s psychological thriller Gatecrash, based on the stage play written by Terry Hughes, captures a couple’s desperation after a night of drinking leads to a terrible accident. 

Nicole (Olivia Bonamy, Them) and Steve (Ben Cura, Marcella) burst onto the screen with a frenetic energy that immediately sets the tone for the film. They scream, throw blame, violently tussle, all before revealing that Steve has hit a man with their car and fled the scene. 

Ten minutes into Gatecrash the audience has witnessed a complete cycle of abuse between the two leads. Nicole oscillates between accusatory and fearful as Steve blames the hit-and-run on her mouth; screaming in her face that she’s always yelling at him. Their relationship is quickly established through the manic energy that Steve spews across their gorgeous, modern home, moving seamlessly through the labyrinth of emotional torment and physical abuse, veering at just the right moment into soft caresses and apologies. 

If there was ever a legitimate physical manifestation of domestic abuse on screen, this is it. The character of Steve is one of the more insidious portrayals of an abuser. He is attractive and charming, not the kind of man one thinks of when they picture a monster. 

From the outside, their relationship likely seems perfect – a beautiful couple with a beautiful home, what darkness could there lie? But as Steve’s face morphs from amiable to sinister in a flash, the audience witnesses his cruelty and commiserates with Nicole as she cowers in fear. 

As their arguing reaches a fever pitch, a knock on the door reveals a police officer (Samuel West) who politely pushes his way into the house. From this point the film moves into its next act, a sort of home invasion horror that reveals secrets and further pushes the couple closer to their breaking point. 

Gatecrash develops complex characters who create a realistic yet torturous atmosphere that leaves the audience feeling like anything could happen. The viewer feels both sympathy and frustration at Nicole for the decisions she makes. Bonamy’s performance is captivating as her darkly expressive eyes track Steve with a mixture of fear, hatred, and inexplicably, love.

Steve is desperate to avoid accountability throughout the film. When he is threatened by a relentless guest (Anton Lesser), his strongman persona quickly dissolves into cowardice in the face of danger. The couple exhaust every excuse over the course of the film, justifying their actions to themselves, with Steve even uttering a sigh inducing “I drive better when I’ve had a few” while trying to lessen his blame.

The film pushes Steve and Nicole’s relationship to the absolute breaking point, ratcheting up the psychological torture toward a bombshell climax that offers the audience both catharsis and vilification, leaving a moment of silence for a much-needed deep breath inward.  

Moments in Gatecrash feel they may play with maximum impact on stage, but overall Gough pulls riveting performances from his actors that masterfully build a flimsy house of mind-bending cards. It is important to go in knowing as little as possible as this is the rare film that offers unpredictable twists at every turn in its tight 88-minute runtime. Gatecrash will be available for Digital Download on 22nd  February. 

RELATED ARTICLES

---

---

GHOULS GANG CONTENT

EXPLORE

---

MORE ARTICLES

---

---